# Harry Potter Name Question-H\*E\*R\*M\*I\*O\*N\*E **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273 "2003-06-25T12:23:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273/21 "2003-06-26T02:02:47Z")
Not positive, but I think it’s with the hard “g,” like in Ginko (or, now that I think about it, in Gold as well.) ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273/22 "2003-06-26T02:28:03Z")
Had it not been for the fact that I saw the first movie before reading any of the books, I absolutely know I would have mentally pronounced it “Hermy-own.” I still do, occasionally. The wonders of cinema! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273/23 "2003-06-26T03:02:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NotWithoutRage \* > \*\*…well, I gather in a few years there will be quite a few of them in our kindergartens. \*\* Yup. Like “Jennifer” and “Madison,” you can bet your bottom dollar this media-event-name will soon be a trendy favourite. It’ll crack the Top 100 in girl name popularity between 2011 and 2017. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273/24 "2003-06-26T05:15:37Z")
We had a kitten named Hermione, well before Harry Potter came out. Turned out he was a boy, though. (His littermates were Roger, Bunsen, and Fester.) ---
**Author:** ![And\_that\_s\_the\_bottom\_line](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df788c/32.png) [@And\_that\_s\_the\_bottom\_line](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/And_that_s_the_bottom_line)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273/25 "2003-06-26T07:41:13Z")
Even though I know how to properly pronounce the name, I still sometimes end up mentally reading it as hermi-one (hermee-number one). I guess I’ve seen a few too many sci-fi movies and it is starting to effect me on a subliminal level. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273/26 "2003-06-26T07:42:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shodan \* > **Jim Dale, who does the audio books (and does a wonderful job),** I just have to second this. I am not generally a fan of audiobooks, but I’ve listened to the first four HP audiobooks and it is a wonderful way to experience these books. Jim Dale is great! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273/27 "2003-06-26T12:45:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tangent \* > \*\*I just have to second this. I am not generally a fan of audiobooks, but I’ve listened to the first four HP audiobooks and it is a wonderful way to experience these books. Jim Dale is great! \*\* Better than [Stephen Fry](http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1855496542/qid=1056631872/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/026-6499985-6012411)? ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273/28 "2003-06-26T14:01:59Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by And that’s the bottom line_ > hermi-one (hermee-number one). Hermi-Wan-Kenobi? Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273/29 "2003-06-26T14:49:09Z")
I like this name a great deal and when I first heard it I was greatful because I loved Hermione Gingold, but could never figure out how to pronounce it. Yeah for the Music Man and Gigi! I don’t see it really becoming popular because it is not cutesy and trendy enough, like the \*\* Unholy Triumpvirate of Tiffany, Amber, Brittany\*\* wave which replaced the \*\* Scourge of Jennifers and Kathy’s \*\* and I cannot see it knocking out the upcomers \*\*Tsumani’s of Hanna, Emily, Olivia, and Sara’s \*\* or the **Tornado’s of Madison and Abby’s.** Hermione is just not cutesy enough. It’s smart, yet a loner of a name. I’d name my daughter it if I could get away with it from the Anti-Fun Brigade at our house. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273/30 "2003-06-26T14:52:22Z")
[Give a listen here](http://www.babynames.com/V5/index.php?content=gosearch.php3&searchterm=HERMIONE&searchby=byname) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-name-question-h-e-r-m-i-o-n-e/184273.md?page=1)